Undergraduate Major in History

The purpose of the major is to help students understand themselves as products and makers of history. History courses introduce them to historical patterns and problems in a variety of areas and periods, as well as to different historical materials and techniques of analysis. Our courses encourage students to learn to think critically and to search deeply in at least one area of concentration. Achievement of these goals depends heavily on effective use of faculty advice, and each student should see his or her advisor as soon as one is assigned. Thereafter, each student should confer with the advisor at least once each semester to ensure smooth progress through the program of study.

Through a series of introductory and advanced courses, history majors become familiar with past knowledge, the forces of change, and the varieties of historical scholarship that treat societies throughout the world. They also learn to collect, evaluate, organize, and interpret evidence, and to present it in oral and written forms. Students with grounding in historical knowledge possess the central core of an excellent liberal arts education that may be applied to a variety of uses, including active citizenship, graduate school, and various occupations. Department graduates work in such fields as law, business, librarianship, archival and museum management, teaching at all levels, government service, and journalism-in brief, wherever expertise in critical thinking and clear writing are recognized assets.

The program for majors consists of 36 credits hours in history. Students majoring in history may select a concentration. The History Department encourages, but does NOT require students to select a concentration.